


Love Languages

by kopycat_101



Series: Nathmarc November [27]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Bisexual Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Boys In Love, Character Study, Dorks, Dorks in Love, Falling In Love, Flirting, Friendship, Gay Marc Anciel, Kissing, Love Confessions, M/M, Male Friendship, Male-Female Friendship, Minor Juleka Couffaine/Rose Lavillant, Mutual Pining, Nathaniel and Alix are Childhood Best Friends, Teen Crush, Teenagers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:07:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27706699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kopycat_101/pseuds/kopycat_101
Summary: Everyone has their own love language. Nathaniel knows his, but he finds out the love languages of his friends.It takes a bit longer to figure out Marc's.
Relationships: Alix Kubdel & Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Marc Anciel & Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Marc Anciel/Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Nathaniel Kurtzberg & Classmates
Series: Nathmarc November [27]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1994782
Comments: 6
Kudos: 48





	Love Languages

**Author's Note:**

> For NathMarc November Day 27: Language
> 
> I remember having a discussion a while ago in the NathMarc Server about love languages, so this was born! Love me some character building and dorky boys. 
> 
> Special shoutout to UN for her headcanon of Nath's love language influencing this fic and my own headcanons.

* * *

Everyone has their own love language.

Nathaniel knows his is physical touch, for example. It makes sense in hindsight. He was raised in a very loving family, who were all free with their physical affection. Plus, Alix was a very physical person as well, and she was his best friend since diapers. There were countless photos of them hugging or wrestling or holding hands, and Alix hasn’t stopped any of those actions even as they grew.

Nathaniel knows other people misconstrue his friendship with Alix as romance because of how close they are, and how they don’t shy away from physical affection. But if people can’t wrap their minds around the fact that a guy and girl can be friends, and hugging your friends is okay and doesn’t have to mean anything romantic, that’s their fault. Not his, and not Alix’s.

Nathaniel likes to show people he cares by being physically affectionate. It just takes him a long time to get to the level where he shows it. He’s an introvert and he’s naturally shy, so he keeps his distance until he finally feels comfortable to go through with it.

He’d started with Juleka. He asked if he could pet her hair, once he was sure he could call her a friend. She raised a brow at him, but tilted her head towards him and mumbled, “sure”.

She melted under his touch, and he realized that they had that in common. Being introverts that liked physical affection. It also helps explain why the goth is so smitten by Rose, who’s always so hands-on with Juleka and shows her affection freely.

And Rose was really friendly, so she was quick to pat his shoulder or hug his arm when he opened up. The redhead, knowing Juleka had a crush the size of the Seine on her best friend, never misconstrued Rose’s sweetness and actions as anything romantic. He didn’t want to get in the way between the two girls.

His little sphere of friendship grew, slowly but surely, as time passed.

Kim was quick to slap him on the back or pull him into headlocks, and while Nathaniel grumbled about it, when he was ready, he started punching Kim’s shoulder and knocking into his side. The jock was delighted at the reciprocation, hooting out, “ _I **knew** there was a reason you two are best friends!_” to Alix and Nathaniel, much to the redhead’s embarrassment.

Max wasn’t a very physical person, but he allowed the occasional poke or shoulder pat, which was fine by Nathaniel. The tech wiz seemed more partial to people paying attention to what he had to say and giving him feedback. So Nathaniel always made sure to give Max his honest thoughts, and thank him for helping him with a homework question, smiling when Max perked up under the praise.

Marinette…Well, it was a little awkward and complicated at first, considering Nathaniel’s crush on her. He’d daydreamed of holding her in his arms a lot, cuddling her, or simply holding her hand. But after he grew out of his crush, he liked to offer her a high-five or fist-bump or knock their shoulders together, after they showed each other their sketchbooks or talked through an art project.

Marinette didn’t seem to mind it, always comfortable and grinning back at him, although he knew she was more taken by giving and receiving gifts. Still, physical affection seemed to be a secondary love language for her that she gave freely to her friends and parents.

When Marc entered Nathaniel’s life, had slid into his sphere of friendship, Nathaniel was absolutely fascinated by the writer. It was like trying to figure out a puzzle, for him, how to show his friendship while also finding how Marc showed his.

Marc would jolt and blush and stutter any time Nathaniel touched him. Really, Marc blushed and stuttered a _lot_ around Nathaniel. The artist figured the poor writer was just super anxious and not used to people being close to him, so he tried to back off.

It was awkward, but Nathaniel was a shy person as well. He got the need to have his own space. So, he tried to give Marc space, even as they spent more and more time together while working on their comic.

When given a subject he was passionate about, the shy writer would open up like a blooming flower and talk enthusiastically. That is, before getting embarrassed and clamming right back up. He was tentative, and had a hard time talking to Nathaniel, but the artist knew he just had to be patient.

* * *

The first time Marc actually asked for Nathaniel’s opinion on the plot of their issue, instead of trailing off and letting Nathaniel make a short comment or two, the artist put in as much effort into vocalizing his thoughts as he could.

“Well, I’m not that great with words? That’s your forte,” Nathaniel starts, to ease things by with a joke first. “But I really love the plot of the issue! It’s really solid, introducing the main leads, showing a little bit about their lives before we get right into the thick of things with introducing Hawkmoth and the superpowers. It’s a good hook. Kind of like some other comics I’ve read, but that’s not a bad thing! Like, it makes you want to pick up the next issue to see how the story will go…y’know? Am I making sense?”

Marc simply stares back at him, mouth agape and cheeks pink.

“Sorry, was that too much?” Nathaniel asks awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s just…You’re always making such super thoughtful comments when it comes to my art, and I’ve always wanted to give you thoughtful comments on your writing too, as a thank you! But I suck at articulating myself. So I’ve been trying to, like…Think through what I would tell you, and get my thoughts all in order. I should’ve probably said something sooner…”

“I-It’s fine,” the writer squeaks, waving his hands about, face going from pink to red. “I-I…I really appreciate y-you thinking so hard and, and giving me your thoughts…!”

“Oh. Good,” the redhead sighs, more than a bit relieved. He smiles back at his partner. “Just…I’ll try and say more, okay? You deserve feedback too. Just don’t expect my comments to be super smart or make much sense.”

“I-I think they make sense,” Marc states, looking straight into Nathaniel’s eyes, “a-and you’re plenty smart, Nathaniel.”

Nathaniel laughs, flustered and flattered, rubbing the back of his neck. “My grades beg to differ—”

“Your grades have—have nothing t-to do with your intelligence!” the writer says, vehemently, leaning forwards and placing a hand on Nathaniel’s. “I…Grades aren’t everything, and so are book smarts. I-I think you’re very smart, Nathaniel.”

“Oh,” the redhead says, heart doing a complicated gymnastics routine. He feels his face warm, and he smiles back, ducking his head a bit as he says, “I…thanks, Marc. That means a lot.”

“I-It’s no problem. Just…please don’t insult yourself like that again…” Marc responds softly, so softly, and Nathaniel feels himself melt into a puddle. Marc’s hand is warm on his. He considers threading their fingers together, but the other boy retracts his hand with a flustered little, “S-Sorry.”

“It’s fine. I don’t mind,” Nathaniel says with a smile, heart full to bursting.

* * *

Something between them shifts, then.

Nathaniel makes sure to comment more about Marc’s work. Each comment seems to make the writer perk up and smile, soft as morning sunlight. Marc stops cutting himself off on his comments over Nathaniel’s drawings, allowing himself to gush. His words seem to almost _energize_ the artist, in a way, makes his doubts settle a little.

They start to touch more, too, Nathaniel is delighted to find. A borrowed pen here, their hands brushing. Leaning in close to show each other something, shoulders knocking together. Nathaniel letting his head fall on Marc’s shoulder when he hasn’t had any sleep.

Marc still jolts occasionally, when they touch. But he doesn’t shy away anymore. He seems more comfortable.

So Nathaniel touches him more. Props his arm on the other’s shoulder, ruffles Marc’s messy hair, knocks their knees together, tugs his arm to get his attention. He feels warm, each time he touches his friend, his comic partner.

They spend more time, and Nathaniel realizes he likes this. Likes spending time with Marc. It reminds him of when he was kids with Alix, how they spent hours at a time exploring or talking or watching movies, but now it wasn’t just him with Alix. It was him with Marc. Now Nathaniel was spending hours on end with Marc, working on their comic side-by-side, or texting each other about anything and everything, or hanging out on weekends.

Nathaniel always appreciates some quality time, but he realizes after he daydreams of Marc holding his hand and kissing his cheek, that he has a crush on Marc.

While panicking about that, he also realizes that maybe quality time has been his second love language all along. It just took falling in love with Marc for him to realize it. For him to be spending all of Art Club with Marc working on their comic. For them to spend whole weekends camped out in one anothers’ house to finish things up for deadlines or do homework together, or just have sleepovers for the fun of it.

He likes spending time with Marc. He likes Marc. And…he only hopes that Marc will like him back.

* * *

Nathaniel finds a letter in his locker one day, elegantly gorgeous calligraphy spelling out his name on its front.

He opens the envelope, and takes out the letter, recognizing Marc’s looping writing instantly. It’s a love letter, in so much a letter can be, with its message only being three words long.

Nathaniel turns and sprints out of the locker room, down the halls, towards the stairs, letter clutched to his chest.

There Marc was, standing under the stairs, looking nervous and smiling awkwardly back at him. The writer barely has enough time to open his arms, before Nathaniel is launching himself in them, all but tackling the other in a hug.

Marc hugs him back carefully. “Nathaniel…”

The way Marc holds him, the way he says his name, it’s all so soft and careful. Nathaniel feels like something precious, in Marc’s arms and on his lips.

The artist pulls back, grabbing Marc’s hoodie and yanking him down, connecting their lips.

And that’s all the confirmation they need. After all the time they’ve spent together, Marc knows Nathaniel’s love languages well, by now, just as much as Nathaniel knows Marc’s.

When they part for breath, Nathaniel says it aloud anyways, whispers those three little words against Marc’s lips. Marc whispers it back, between quick kisses, taking Nathaniel’s breath away with the words.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> Me, sobbing as I write my 500th fic where the boys confess: they're so in love--


End file.
